The Dynamic Duo: Bringing Family and Friends Together on the Water

Today, we welcome again, Guest Blogger, Lori Neufeld.

I knew we had to own a Jackson Dynamic Duo after paddling one for only a few minutes.  While the 12 foot boat may not seem practical for Manitoba rivers, we actually used the Duo a lot this summer.  With only a few mishaps and a lot of laughs, our family and friends got to experience kayaking either for the first time or in ways they had never thought possible.

Being a “Go Big or Stay Home” kind of season, Finley spent most of her time paddling the Duo at the beach.  It was during one of these days that my mom went kayaking for the first time and Finley's friends got to join us, too.  Who knew that a kayak could also serve as a daycare?

 

Finley and friends, Carter and Landon enjoying the water with "Cool-Mom", Lori.  Photo: Cheryl Falk

The Duo was our go-to boat for after work adventures on the rivers within the city.  The swifts and eddy lines were fun to experiment on and it was good practice for bigger water.  The Duo is stable, fast and very manoeuvrable, and it didn't take long for me to feel in control and confident while paddling it.  There's often a stigma about Winnipeg's rivers that they're dirty and dangerous, so many people stay away from them.  But thanks to the Duo, the proper safety equipment, and an experienced paddler in the stern, a number of people got to see our local rivers from a whole new perspective. 

 

Lori, Finley and Grandma, Marilyn.  Photo: Cheryl Falk

But it was the days that we took the Duo out to Sturgeon Falls that really stand out for me.  Dan and Finley happily watched from shore as my friends and I punched through giant foam piles and surfed the waves.  While I left the attempted airscrews to the boys, I thoroughly enjoyed carving back and forth.  Communication and feeling your partner's movements were key in getting the Duo to surf smoothly.  I loved those days on the water.

The Dynamic Duo bringing folks together on the water.  Photo: Lori Neufeld

Our Dynamic Duo brought people together this summer.  From experienced and sponsored boaters to newbies and toddlers, everyone who sat in the Duo came out smiling.  It was a fantastic teaching tool and I'm looking forward to introducing Finley to whitewater with this boat.  The Duo is really one of a kind and I glad we invested in one!

The Duo from Dan Neufeld on Vimeo.

Jackson Karma RG (Rock Garden) - Review by JF Marleau

A huge thanks to JF Marleau for taking the time to get out in the Karma RG on the West Coast of Vancouver Island near his home in Ucluelet and providing this review.  JF is a kayaking guide, an instructor and a co-owner of SKILS (Sea Kayak Instruction and Leadership Systems).  He is also a member of the Kokatat Regional Team.

The first day I was surfing the Karma RG was with whales around the surf zone. Unfortunately, the photos are not great of the Karma RG and the gray whales.

Coming from a sea kayak surf kayaking background, this kayak is a new paradigm. I had some very fun surf sessions with this ultra maneuverable kayak.

FIT

I felt extremely comfortable in the Karma RG. I am 6.1 and 220 pounds. I love the easy and quick adjustments for a tight but comfortable fit provided with the Karma RG. Furthermore, I like how the foot rest absorbs the shock while I am vertical facing downward.

I like a lot the low back deck that makes rolling very easy.

A female friend of mine, 5.5 and 145 pounds tried the Karma RG and it was too big for her despite all the adjustments possible and the addition of extra padding. At this point JK is not planning to offer a smaller version of the Karma RG to cater to smaller people. I have a feeling that this kayak will be successful among kayakers and consequently this could possibly change.

Form and Performance

The shape of the kayak makes it ultra maneuverable. The speed of this kayak is slow when compared to a regular sea kayak but faster than some other whitewater kayaks.

It does track well and hold a line very well in the surf. Sea kayakers surfing long kayaks will need to adapt their wave selection as the Karma RG’s length and capability to catch small waves is different.

The heavy duty Go Pro mount is very reliable and solid. You can rely on them. This is refreshing as I have seen many failures of Go Pro Mounts in rough waters.

The whirlpool handles are so handy in assisted rescues or in case you swim with your kayak. This feature is great. I also have this feature on my sea kayaks. I recommend to anybody with a sea kayak to get whirlpool handles ,it makes rescues easier and save your fingers and hands from possible injuries.

Jackson Kayak has improved the tightness of the hatch cover from their first prototype for the mass production of the Karma RG. Despite having good hatches covers, it is recommended to ensure you have proper floatation in your hatch (s). The Karma RG has only a rear hatch. My experience over the years tells me nothing in kayaking is dry if you challenge rough enough conditions.

Like other whitewater kayaks, it has a drain plug. When I was emptying it in the hard sand, the drain plug hole was buried. This is not a big deal. Ideally for my needs I wish the drain plug was 1 or 2 inches higher.

This kayak has a lot of metal safety brackets. I was impressed to see so many of them. This feature makes it easy to lock your kayak where it's likely to be stolen.

The handles to carry the kayak were comfortable which makes long distance carry much more enjoyable.

Function

I only used the kayak during 3 sessions in the surf due to my busy work schedule. Unfortunately the surf was not great. I wish I had time to use it for rock gardening. This Ocean Play Boat is very versatile for surfing, rock gardening and also for the river or overnight trip. I have to admit the very large stern hatch provides a substantial amount of storage for overnight camping on the ocean or the river. If I was guiding, teaching or acting as safety kayaker, I would love to use this kayak to carry extra safety equipment. Furthermore, the large stern hatch allows for typical sea kayak rescues like the T-Rescue.

Conclusion

Calling it RG (for rock garden) might influence people to think it’s only for rock gardening. Believe me, this ocean play boat is very versatile. I truly enjoyed playing with it.

Just in from Salt Lake City...Jackson Kayak Fishing 2015

It's great to have awesome folks on the ground at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City so we can give you this awesome Sneak Peek at the 2015 Jackson Kayak Fishing line up.  Huge kudos to Product Manager, Damon Bungard and Jameson Redding.



We are super excited about all the new fishing kayaks but particularly the Kraken designed for offshore kayak fishing, perfect for the coastlines of Canada!

Top overview of the Kraken

What is the difference between the Jackson Kayak Cuda 14 and the Kraken?  Answer by the Kraken's designer, Jim Sammons.

The Cuda is 14'3" 30.5" wide the Kraken 15'6" long 29.5 wide. These dimensions alone will give the Kraken much better glide. In the Prototype the difference was remarkable. It was no effort to keep a pace of over 4mph per the GPS on the Kraken while the Cuda was close to 3 or less when chop present.

The Kraken has more rocker and more flare in the bow for better lift in surf and chop.

There won't be a stand assist strap on the Kraken, I am sure some guys will still be standing in it but that is not what it was made for.

The Kraken comes with the new KKrate which is secured into the tankwell via track. This Kkrate and the new bait pump scupper will make a great live bait solution for those using live bait.

Adjustable trim seat is a game changer for those with a full bait tank at the rear or full fish bag in the bow.

The new hinged and angled center hatch will make interior access much easier for storing fish or your rods.

Closer view of the top of the Kraken

Bow of the Kraken

Bottom of the Kraken -

The transducer scupper is just behind the center hatch so you get very good water contact at all times,. This also makes it easy to run wires though the side of the center hatch area to the battery holder or head unit. You can see the transducer scupper in this bottom shot of the kraken.

More to come over the next few days and weeks.

Bay of Fundy Sea Kayk Symposium Gives Back

If you are at all interested in sea kayaking and learning from some of the best coaches/instructors in the world than this symposium should be on your "must get to" list!  Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium - September 12 - 15, 2014

Even better this group of paddlers is all about giving back and so to is one of their sponsors Jackson Kayaks.

Help send a kid to camp through the YMCA Campership Program by buying a raffle ticket for a new Jackson Kayak Karma RG (Rock Garden).  Click HERE for more details!

To learn more about the Karma RG check out the following blogpost

West Kootenay River SUP Race Re-Cap

What an amazing weekend in the beautiful West Kootenays with the BC SUP community last weekend at the BC SUP Cup River SUP Race hosted by the folks at Endless Adventure.

The weather was spectacular and HOT and the rivers kept us cool and on our toes!!!

Mark and I had the pleasure of taking Mike Darbyshire's River SUP Clinic on the Upper Slocan on the Friday and it was a great learning experience and a lot of fun.  If you have a chance to get in on one of Mike's clinics do it.  He's knowledgeable, fun and safety is a top priority.

Thanks to Mark Klein aka my husband and the other half of Nikki Rekman Sales for the photos!

I look nervous...I was a bit.  Thanks to Kokatat, Werner, Jackson Kayak and Predator for my awesome gear!!

Mike D getting me on the Slocan River in the River SUP clinic - so much fun!

Saturday was the long course race down the mighty Columbia River from just outside Castlegar to Genelle, BC - 16.8 km.  Nikki Rekman Sales team members came out on top with Mike Darbyshire taking the top Men's spot, Lina Augaitis top Women's and our Alberta-boy, Eli Fischbuch taking top Junior!  We are proud to have all three athletes paddling with Werner Paddles!

Start on the Columbia River

 

First guy across the finish - Mike Darbyshire

First woman across the finish - Lina Augaitis

First Junior to cross the finish - Eli Fischbuch

We wrapped up the Saturday festivities at the Lion's Head Pub (THANKS Troy and Carly for hosting!!!) with entertainment by musician, Shane Phillip. FYI - the food at the Lion's Head is FANTASTIC.

Sunday was the most fun for participants on and off the river for the first ever BOARDER CROSS back on the Slocan River.  Very entertaining to watch!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these Nikki Rekman Sales team members - Lina, Mike and Eli!!

THANKS to Kokatat Watersports Wear and Werner Paddles for outfitting folks in the river SUP clinics and in the Boarder Cross with rescue PFD's and paddles.

We participate in a lot of paddling communities in and around Western Canada and the BC SUP community never fails to impress me.  This is a group of welcoming, fun and gracious individuals and I am so thankful you have embraced us into the fold.

Nikki, Chris from Endless Adventure (our event host along with wife Andrea) and Mark photo: Andrea Ryman

Special shout-outs to Chris & Andrea from Endless Adventure and Mike Grant for hosting all of us.  Mike Darbyshire for inspiring people on and off the river.  To our team members, Mike, Lina and Eli - your support of us and our brands is so very much appreciated and we love connecting with you!!


Vanessa Fischbuch thanks for getting Eli to all the races and for being an amazing example of how to parent awesome kids.

Super-Mom - Vanessa enjoying some time on the Columbia River waiting for Eli to finish his race.

For more photos go to Mark's Flickr account HERE.  Please give him a photo credit if you use the photos - Mark Klein :)

See you on the water!